Integrating individual renovation plans and long-term perspectives into building policy instruments: An analysis of mechanisms and approaches

Proc. eceee Summer Study, Giens, 2015

Authors: Martin Pehnt

In the discussion over the future of retrofit policy instruments, long-term strategic elements including building individual roadmaps are increasingly being considered to avoid a “lock-in” of renovation activities. Such a plan develops a long-term strategy for an individual building, incentivizes a renovation as deep as possible, checks the compatibility of stepwise renovation measures against the long-term target, and develops optimal packages of measures and points to consider in the case of staged renovations. The “Sanierungsfahrplan Baden-Württemberg” as one example is to be introduced in 2015 as a State-funded energy audit tool and includes checklists, calculation procedures and educational approaches. However, the individual building approach has also been expanded towards suggestions for a revised support scheme structure, a reward for “target compatible buildings“ in the property and real estate purchase tax, changes in the energy certificate and other instruments. This paper describes the underlying principles of a renovation plan, and investigates a potential implementation of the “long-term thinking” in information, financial support and regulatory systems. Based on an analysis of advantages and disadvantages, a two-step procedure for the further development of national policies is proposed. In the first step, long-term thinking is enhanced and methodological preparations are carried out. This involves introducing a renovation plan in audit and consultancy schemes. In addition, energy certificates and building rating systems have to be in place, long-term targets need to be defined, and craftsmen, architects, planners and end-users have to “take-in” the idea of long-term thinking in the building sector. Renovation plan elements in support schemes, such as funding of individual measures with a differentiated system (favouring deep-retrofit compatible measures), could help towards this end. In the second stage, the definition of long-term targets for renovations, as well as the implementation of bonus malus elements integrated into an already existing tax system, would further spur the dynamics and depth of a renovation.